Chillfish

My most effective method is a large popping cork (or smaller weighted bobber) with a shinee hinee about 5 feet below it. You can cast it a mile, and the cork makes a lot of commotion, and always gets me bites when nothing else works. Just cast and make a slow steady retrieve, or pop occasionally. Sometimes I will even just let it drift behind the boat if there are random fish busting the surface and not necessarily in a school.

I talked to them in the wee hours of the morning at the Monte Ne boat ramp early this past April. They were very nice and spoke for a few minutes with me about the size and numbers of crappie that they were pulling out. Even took the time to pull some of the biggest out of their tanks for a little show and tell. They had some monster slabs in the back of that truck. Also said they were sampling large numbers of big bass in the area, and if I'm remembering correctly they said there were multiple 7 lb plus that got away from them.

I have tried it twice now with ok success. Both times were with silver and black Flickers. I didn't have too much time after dark, but we hooked and lost, on a dock cable, what I'm assuming to be a large hybrid one evening in about 18 fow, and also caught a few short eyes and missed 5 or 6 more bites in about an hour after dark the second time in 12-14 fow. The walleye were on the night before the full moon, as the moon was rising. Looking forward to getting out and trying it some more.

There are two reasons most people don't enjoy white bass. One is that they are oily, and the second is that they die quickly in a livewell. Commercial fishermen put their catch on ice immediately for a reason. The oils in fish spoil very quickly and give it that "fishy" taste. Placing your whites directly into ice is a must. Pouring in some water and salt will get them colder even more quickly. Fillet, and enjoy. When cared for properly, I find them to be an extremely tasty fish. With this process, I don't even find it necessary to remove the red meat. Also, if you freeze, cover fillets with water before freezing.

We were running about 150 ft. back with braid. As clear as the water was, they weren't having trouble coming up from the bottom and smacking them. It seems I can usually get down to about 14 on depth with my particular setup.

I was there last weekend and had good luck with walleye in about 20 ft. of water with the pearl flicker shad. Caught walleye and a good hybrid.

I troll the flickers nearly every time I'm out, so I'm guessing it is only a matter of time before I hook up accidentally. Sight fishing for them with craws sounds like a blast. Will have to keep that in mind in the clearer water this summer. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

I figure I won't put too much time into them, but if I find myself on the lake with nothing else biting, why not give it a shot. I halfway figured that the population wasn't that huge since I've never hooked one on accident. Thanks for the info.

If they fight like some people say, I wouldn't have a problem with that.

Hey guys, I've been lurking and absorbing everything I can here, and I have to say, the advice given on this forum has been incredibly helpful. I have had by far my best spring on Beaver Lake. Who would have thought I would be able to catch walleye on purpose? My question is for anyone with experience catching freshwater drum, either on purpose or by accident. They intrigue me, as I have a saltwater background, but I don't really know where to start with freshwater drum. I'd put on a pinfish or shrimp if I could. Just looking for some tips if anyone has them as to the types of bottom to look for and what types of baits have been successful. Thanks in advance, Andrew